Fishing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Fish can lightly nibble bait off a hook before a fisherman becomes aware and is able to react by firmly setting the hook in the fish. Apparatus is provided for reacting to a fish lightly nibbling at the bait in a manner sufficient to swiftly jerk the hook thus firmly setting it in the fish&#39;s mouth. The apparatus can be used for ice fishing or can be hand held in the conventional manner for water fishing. The hook can be set for fishing at various depths.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to fishing and more particularly toautomatic hookers or catchers.

Fishing apparatus for the type including spring loaded, presettable fishhook setting devices have limitations such as being expensive, complex,and somewhat unreliable. Also, in a desire to provide such an apparatusthat is sensitive enough to be sprung or set off in response to a fishlightly nibbling at a baited hook, such devices are often tripped or setoff prematurely. A further limitation of such devices is that theyusually do not allow for setting the fish hook at various depths.

The foregoing illustrates limitations of the known prior art. Thus, itis apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternativedirected to overcoming one or more of the limitations as set forthabove. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is to provide a presettable,spring loaded, fish hooking apparatus that is inexpensive, reliable,non-complex, and allows for presetting the fish hook at various depths.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, this is accomplished byproviding a fishing apparatus including a main support member having afirst member connected to move between first and second positions. Atrigger is connected to the first member and can be retained in thefirst position. A resilient member is connected for urging the triggertoward the second position. A pair of guides are formed in the mainsupport and a reel is mounted on the main support. A wire is connectedto the trigger and extends through one of the guides. A fishing lineextends from the reel and through the other guide. Means are provided onthe wire for releasably engaging the fishing line.

The foregoing and other aspects will become apparent from the followingdetailed description of the invention when considered in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood,however, that the drawings are not intended as a definition of theinvention but are for the purpose of illustration only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view illustrating an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a partial side view illustrating an embodiment of a portion ofthe invention; and

FIG. 3 is a partial end view illustrating an embodiment of the portionof this invention illustrated in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Fishing apparatus 10 includes a main support member 12 which ispreferably formed of wood members 96, 98 joined in a "T" shape at bolt100 and having a handle 102. Support legs such as bolts 104 extendthrough main support 12 for supporting apparatus 10 on an ice surface106. In this manner, when apparatus 10 is to be used for water fishing,main support member 12 can be hand held at handle 102, and, whenapparatus 10 is to be used for ice fishing, the apparatus is supportedabove ice surface 106 by legs 104.

A first member 48 is pivotally connected to member 12 at pivot pin 36and plate 32 which is suitably attached to member 12 by wood screws 107,or the like. A plate 56 is suitably attached to member 48 and includes aslot 58.

A trigger 60 is pivotally connected to member 48 at a pivot pin 54 andincludes notches 68. A pin 38, attached to member 12 functions as ameans for retaining member 48 and trigger 60 in a first position. Thisis accomplished by inserting trigger 60 through an opening 42 in member12 so that one of the notches 68 engages pin 38.

A bolt 24 is inserted through one of a plurality of holes 28 in member12. Bolt 24 is thus adjustably mounted on member 12. For addedadjustment, nuts 110 can be used to adjust the distance between a hook30 and member 12. A wing nut (not shown) secures bolt 24 to member 12.

A resilient means such as a rubber band 70 includes a first end 72engaged in hook 30, and a second end 74 engaged in slot 58. When slot 68and pin 38 disengage, resilient means 70 urges member 48 and trigger 60from the first position to a second position wherein trigger 60 iswithdrawn from opening 42.

Trigger 60 includes an extension 76 comprising a pair of spaced apartmembers 77 of a suitable metal preferably welded to trigger 60. An axle80 extends through members 7. Axle 80 may be a metal pin press fit intoposition as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 or may be a removable bolt andnut as illustrated in Figure.

A spring steel wire 86 has a first end 87 looped around axle 80, seeFIG. 2. Thus, loop 87 may be forced open to release wire 86 from axle80. Where axle 80 is a bolt and nut as shown in FIG. 3, the axle 80 maybe removed if desired. In either case wire 86 is releasably connected toaxle 80. Wire 86 extends through a guide 78 formed in member 12 andterminates at an end 91.

First and second limiting means 83, 85, respectively, are carried bywire 86. First limiting means 83 is preferably a washer and wire 86moves freely through an opening 93 in the washer. Second limiting means85 is a bead, weld, or a suitable protuberance formed on wire 86 and islarger in diameter than opening 93 so that bead 85 cannot pass throughopening 93. Washer 83 is larger in diameter than guide 78.

A second guide similarly formed in member 12, is adjacent a well-knownfishing reel 118 also connected to support 12.

A fishing line 101 is extendably connected to reel 118 and extendsthrough guide 97 so as to be adjacent hook portion 108 of wire 86. Line101 ultimately terminates at a fishing hook 103.

In this manner, an overhand loop 105 can be formed in line 101 to sethook 103 at any desired depth. The overhand loop 105 can be engaged withhook portion 108 of wire 86. Thus, hook portion 108 functions as a meansconnected to wire 86 for releasably engaging fishing line 101.

A probe 116 is attached to and extends from trigger 60 to be used for"tip-up" fishing.

With the parts assembled as set forth above, it can be appreciated thatwith an overhand loop 105 formed in line 101 and engaged with hookportion 108 of wire 86, and with trigger 60 set in the first positionwith one of the notches 68 engaged with pin 38, apparatus 10 is poisedto jerk and set fishing hook 103 in a fish's mouth when the wire andfishing line 86, 101, respectively, are moved a sufficient amount aftera "strike" so that notch 68 disengages pin 38 and resilient means 70pivotally snaps trigger 60 to the second position. Since overhand loop105 functions as a releasable engagement of line 101 and hook portion108, line 101 easily releases from engagement with hook portion 108 inresponse to line 101 being retracted through guide 97 by actuation ofreel 118. Wire 86 is limited in movement due to limiting means 83, 85engaging each other and limiting means 83 engaging support member 12.Legs 104 support apparatus 10 on ice surface 106 in a manner sufficientto permit members 76, 97 to extend through an opening 122 formed in icesurface 106.

Apparatus 10 is supported by legs 104 on the surface 106 as illustratedin FIG. 1. When it is desired to use apparatus 10 for "tip-up" fishing,as it is commonly referred to, overhand loop 105 can be engaged withprobe 116 rather than with hook 108. Line 101 will still extend throughguide 97 and into the water beneath ice 106. Force exerted on line 101will act on probe 116 to pivot trigger 60 and disengage slot 68 and pin38. Thus, trigger 60 will be released to the second position.

The foregoing has described a presettable, spring loaded, fish hookingapparatus that is inexpensive, reliable, non-complex, and allows forpresetting the fish hook at various depths.

It is anticipated that aspects of the present invention, other thanthose specifically defined in the appended claims, can be obtained fromthe foregoing description and the drawings.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
 1. A fishingapparatus comprising:a main support member; a first member connected tosaid main support and movable between first and second positions; atrigger member connected to said first member, an extension connected tosaid trigger, said extension including a pair of spaced apart membershaving an axle extending therethrough; means for retaining said triggerand said first member in said first position; means for resilientlyurging said trigger and said first member toward said second position; afirst guide in said main support; a wire releasably connected to saidaxle and extending through said first guide; first and second limitingmeans carried by said wire for limiting movement of said wire throughsaid guide in response to said second limiting means engaging said firstlimiting means and said first limiting means engaging said main supportmember; a reel mounted on said main support; a second guide in said mainsupport; a fishing line extendably connected to said reel and extendingthrough said second guide; and means connected to said wire forreleasably engaging said fishing line.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said means for engaging said fishing line includes a hook memberconnected to said wire.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fishingline has a first end connected to said reel and extends through saidsecond guide and terminates at a second end having a fish hook connectedthereto.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said fishing line includesan overhand loop formed therein.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 including:aplurality of legs connected to and extending from said main supportmember.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 including:a handle connected to saidmain support member adjacent said reel.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said main support member is generally "T" shaped and includes aplurality of legs connected thereto.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7including:a handle connected to said main support member adjacent saidreel.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first limiting meansincludes a member having an opening therein and said second limitingmeans is of a construction too great in size to move through saidopening in said first limiting means.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9wherein said first guide includes an opening formed in said main supportand said first limiting means is of a construction too great in size tomove through said first guide opening.